Perfect outing leads Nebraska men’s basketball to historic upset over No. 1 Purdue
From The Daily Nebraskan: https://www.dailynebraskan.com/sports/perfect-outing-leads-nebraska-men-s-basketball-to-historic-upset-over-no-1-purdue/article_982b2d34-af81-11ee-ba91-579ead32c330.html
Rienk Mast’s final points were his easiest.
The junior forward had a busy night, facing the challenge of senior forward Zach Edey, whose 7-foot-4 stature outmatched him by six inches. Still, Mast didn’t back down, scoring 18 points with a bloody nose, most of which over the outstretched arm of Edey.
With 1:20 remaining, Mast flew by Edey for an easy layup. The two points cemented one of the biggest wins in Nebraska men’s basketball history.
The Huskers upset the No. 1 ranked Boilermakers 88-72 for their first win over a No. 1 ranked team since 1982. It was an all-around masterclass for Nebraska, who devoured Purdue defensively while shooting an elite mark of 51% from the field and 61% from deep.
Despite winter storms hindering attendance, Pinnacle Bank Arena was as loud as it ever has been, hitting a new height of electricity after every basket. It was only fitting to cap the night off with a court storm.
“There’s nothing like it, to go out there and get this win,” head coach Fred Hoiberg said postgame. “I talked to our guys about how people will come in on the floor and enjoy it with the fans.”
Mast started out hot with a 3-pointer before posting up Edey for a pair of tough buckets. The defensive intensity was at a max for the Huskers right away, forcing the Boilermakers to miss their first six shots while taking an 8-2 lead early.
Sophomore guard Braden Smith ended the cold streak with a 3-pointer while senior forward Mason Gillis checked in and immediately tied the game up with a deep shot of his own. Nebraska was doing its job on defense, but was sloppy with the ball in its hands, letting Purdue back into the game.
This started what would be a back-and-forth battle with the two sides trading buckets. The Huskers uncharacteristically looked away from the deep ball with Mast making their only two 3-pointers to that point. That all changed when senior guard Keisei Tominaga got an inch of separation from behind the arc.
An and-one by junior forward Juwan Gary tied the game at 28 while most importantly taking Edey out of the game with two fouls. That left Nebraska three and a half minutes to go on a run that completely changed the contest.
It started with a 3-pointer by Tominaga, who added another one the next time down the court on a heat check. Before the Boilermakers could even set up their next play, sophomore guard Sam Hoiberg stole a pass and laid it up on the other end, prompting a Purdue timeout.
Hoiberg wasn’t done yet, adding a 3-pointer and converting an acrobatic finish for two more points, giving the Huskers a 41-30 lead heading into the half. It was a 13-0 run with Tominaga and Hoiberg responsible for all of it.
Nebraska shot an astounding 53.6% from the field and 70% from deep in the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Huskers constantly double-teamed Edey on defense, resulting in the reigning National Player of the Year scoring just two points on 1-of-4 shooting.
“My plan was to be annoying,” Mast said postgame. “[Edey’s] about as big as it’s gonna get, so for me personally that was kind of my plan.”
It was a slow start to the second half for Nebraska as the Boilermakers showed why they are the No. 1 team in the country. Senior guard Lance Jones was hot, making three 3-pointers in a row to cut the deficit to three. This began another run of both squads going tit for tat with Purdue cutting the score to just one point at 51-50.
However, the Huskers carried over their success from behind the arc with senior forward Josiah Allick connecting from the corner to extend the lead. Wilcher then added a quick six points before another one of Hoiberg’s signature steals forced another Boilermaker timeout. Wilcher’s ninth point in the last minute and a half put Nebraska comfortably up 65-52.
A quick 5-0 run by Purdue put it back at single digits, but junior guard Brice Williams had other plans. With a screen leaving Edey on him and Mast with a mismatch, Williams decided to test the big man and drilled a 3-pointer to make the lead 10.
After leaving with an injury late against Wisconsin, Williams was a game-time decision for Tuesday. Despite this, he proved to be big on both sides of the ball as he blocked a pair of shots in the second half to deny any comeback.
“I’ve been in the training room more than I’ve been in my apartment the last couple of days,” Williams said postgame. “I didn’t want to let the guys down.”
Edey was back to dominating the paint like he had all year, it was all for naught with the Huskers having their way on offense with the Wilcher and Williams converting at ease on the other end.
While quiet for most of the half, Tominaga still had a vintage moment in him. With four minutes to go, Tominaga nailed a heavily contested 3-pointer, once again making the lead 10 points. However, that served as the dagger as Nebraska remained ahead by double digits the rest of the game in route to completing the season-making upset.
It was a collective effort for the Huskers as four players scored double figures led by Tominaga’s 19 points. Williams filled up the stat sheet with nine points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, two blocks and two steals.
“Everybody who stepped on the floor I thought made a positive contribution and those are the fun ones,” Hoiberg said postgame.
After a defensive meltdown in Madison, Nebraska rebounded on defense by forcing 14 turnovers including nine steals.
The Huskers can’t celebrate the win for long as they have a quick turnaround, heading to Iowa City to take on the Hawkeyes on Friday. After the historic win, Nebraska looks to keep the momentum going.
“Never get too high, never get too low,” Mast said postgame. “I think we all know that wins are great but there’s always the next game.”
